Kingscote vs Wisanger

Wisanger is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 51 in Kingscote. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Kingscote, most households are people living alone. In Wisanger, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Kingscote tends to suit older residents, while Wisanger suits families with children and couples.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Kingscote

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 59/100)
  • But Wisanger is already more of a family suburb (48% vs 36%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Kingscote

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (32% vs 20%)
  • has cheaper rent ($214/wk vs $240/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Kingscote

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (65/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (186.7 km vs 192.4 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (203 min vs 208 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Kingscote

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (65/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 18%)
  • carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 59/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Wisanger

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (12.9% vs 7.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Kingscote and Wisanger drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Kingscote Wisanger
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Kingscote Wisanger
Walkability 65 / 0
Kingscote — Walkability: 65/100 Wisanger — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 63 / 41
Kingscote — Safety: 63/100 Wisanger — Safety: 41/100
Low fire risk 100 / 59
Kingscote — Low fire risk: 100/100 Wisanger — Low fire risk: 59/100
Low flood risk 60 / 62
Kingscote — Low flood risk: 60/100 Wisanger — Low flood risk: 62/100

Demographics

Kingscote has more residents (1,962 vs 140); Kingscote skews older (51 vs 43).

Kingscote Wisanger
Population 1,962
+93% vs other
 140
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.4% +12.9%
Median age 51 43
Median household income $57,356/yr $66,612/yr
+16% vs other
Median weekly rent $214/wk $240/wk
+12% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kingscote Wisanger
0-4 4.6% / 5.0%
Kingscote — 0-4: 4.6% Wisanger — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 10.6% / 19.3%
Kingscote — 5-14: 10.6% Wisanger — 5-14: 19.3%
15-19 4.1% / —
Kingscote — 15-19: 4.1% Wisanger — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 4.0% / 3.6%
Kingscote — 20-24: 4.0% Wisanger — 20-24: 3.6%
25-34 11.6% / 10.0%
Kingscote — 25-34: 11.6% Wisanger — 25-34: 10.0%
35-44 8.4% / 11.4%
Kingscote — 35-44: 8.4% Wisanger — 35-44: 11.4%
45-54 11.0% / 8.6%
Kingscote — 45-54: 11.0% Wisanger — 45-54: 8.6%
55-64 16.9% / 16.4%
Kingscote — 55-64: 16.9% Wisanger — 55-64: 16.4%
65-74 15.5% / 14.3%
Kingscote — 65-74: 15.5% Wisanger — 65-74: 14.3%
75-84 10.2% / 3.6%
Kingscote — 75-84: 10.2% Wisanger — 75-84: 3.6%
85+ 3.8% / —
Kingscote — 85+: 3.8% Wisanger — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kingscote 56.9% lone person
Kingscote — Lone Person: 56.9% Kingscote — Couple Families: 26.7% Kingscote — One Parent Families: 9.8% Kingscote — Group Household: 5.0% Kingscote — Other Families: 1.7%
Wisanger 51.6% lone person
Wisanger — Lone Person: 51.6% Wisanger — Couple Families: 48.4% Wisanger — One Parent Families: 0.0% Wisanger — Group Household: 0.0% Wisanger — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Kingscote 31.5% renting
Kingscote — Owned Outright: 40.5% Kingscote — Mortgage: 28.0% Kingscote — Renting: 31.5%
Wisanger 19.6% renting
Wisanger — Owned Outright: 34.8% Wisanger — Mortgage: 45.7% Wisanger — Renting: 19.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Kingscote Wisanger
New Zealand 2.0% / 3.6%
Kingscote — New Zealand: 2.0% Wisanger — New Zealand: 3.6%
England 4.9% / —
Kingscote — England: 4.9% Wisanger — England: not among its largest
South Africa 0.6% / 2.9%
Kingscote — South Africa: 0.6% Wisanger — South Africa: 2.9%
Philippines 0.6% / —
Kingscote — Philippines: 0.6% Wisanger — Philippines: not among its largest
Italy 0.6% / —
Kingscote — Italy: 0.6% Wisanger — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.9%).

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Kingscote Wisanger
Certificate III & IV 16.5% / 21.4%
Kingscote — Certificate III & IV: 16.5% Wisanger — Certificate III & IV: 21.4%
Bachelor Degree 9.5% / 11.4%
Kingscote — Bachelor Degree: 9.5% Wisanger — Bachelor Degree: 11.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.8% / 2.1%
Kingscote — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8% Wisanger — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.1%
Postgraduate Degree 2.3% / —
Kingscote — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3% Wisanger — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / —
Kingscote — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Wisanger — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kingscote 91.2% houses
Kingscote — Houses: 91.2% Kingscote — Flats / Apartments: 3.3% Kingscote — Townhouses: 5.5%
Wisanger 88.5% houses
Wisanger — Houses: 88.5% Wisanger — Flats / Apartments: 11.5% Wisanger — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Kingscote Wisanger
Median house price $465,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $162,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 61 days
from 39 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Wisanger has more rural and farming land (89% vs 68%).

Kingscote Wisanger
Rural and farming 68% 89%
Environmental 6% 11%
Residential 10% 0%
Industrial 8% 0%
Other and special use 5% 0%
Commercial 1% 0%
Parks and recreation 1% 0%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Kingscote Wisanger
New dwellings approved 48
across Kangaroo Island
same for both
Approvals change year on year -12%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Kingscote Wisanger
Houses 3.3%
$445/wk on $708K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Kingscote Wisanger
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 22% of SA Higher than 34% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 86% of SA Higher than 40% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 46% of SA Higher than 45% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 65% of SA Higher than 43% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 24% of SA —

Liveability

Kingscote is more walkable (65 vs 0).

Kingscote Wisanger
Grade B —
Score 50/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Wisanger carries more bushfire risk (41 vs 0); Wisanger carries more crime risk (59 vs 37).

Kingscote Wisanger
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
41/100
Crime Low
37/100
 Moderate
59/100
Flood Moderate
40/100
 Low
38/100
Coastal erosion Moderate
57/100
 Moderate
48/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Kingscote Wisanger
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Kingscote

  • Kangaroo Island Community Education Government · Combined at peers
  • Kangaroo Island Community Education - Kingscote Campus Government · Combined

Schools in Wisanger

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Kingscote Wisanger
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 8 1
Parks & reserves 2 3
Childcare 2 0
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0
Fuel stations 2 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 0 13

Mobility

Wisanger sits further from the CBD (192.4 km vs 186.7 km).

Kingscote Wisanger
Walkability score 65/100 0/100
Distance to Adelaide 186.7 km 192.4 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 203 min 208 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 5223
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 54
postcode 5223
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Kingscote Wisanger
Car (driver) 73.4% / 56.7%
Kingscote — Car (driver): 73.4% Wisanger — Car (driver): 56.7%
Walked Only 11.8% / 16.7%
Kingscote — Walked Only: 11.8% Wisanger — Walked Only: 16.7%
Worked from Home 6.9% / 16.7%
Kingscote — Worked from Home: 6.9% Wisanger — Worked from Home: 16.7%
Car (passenger) 6.1% / 10.0%
Kingscote — Car (passenger): 6.1% Wisanger — Car (passenger): 10.0%
Bicycle 1.8% / —
Kingscote — Bicycle: 1.8% Wisanger — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.4%).

Setting

Kingscote Wisanger
Elevation 17 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 54 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 179 m
2.7 km to a named beach
 3.9 km

NBN connectivity

Kingscote Wisanger
Connectivity score 30/100 28/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
1,192 premises
 0%
55 premises

Climate

Kingscote Wisanger
Annual rainfall 412 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Kingscote Wisanger
Average residential rate $1,908/yr
same for both
Council Kangaroo Island
same for both

Federal electorate

Kingscote Wisanger
Division Mayo
same for both
Member Rebekha Sharkie
same for both
Party Centre Alliance
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Kingscote Wisanger
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Kingscote

Acreage Affordable Coastal Retirees Village Feel

Wisanger

Family River Rural

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Wisanger

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Full data on Kingscote Full data on Wisanger
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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